According to a recent report from energy thin tank Ember, China has installed 256 gigawatts of additional solar capacity in the first half of this year – more than two-thirds of the global total and more than double the amount installed in the first half of 2024.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Chinese installations accounted for a significant 46% of global capacity by the end of 2024. Globally, 380 gigawatts of capacity were added during the first half of the year.
Global leader in solar energy
China is currently the global leader in solar energy regarding production, capacity, and development. The country dominates global installations and the supply chain, invests heavily, and continues to break record after record.
One possible explanation, according to Ember, is the new subsidy regulation that came into effect in China in June, which prompted solar park developers to scramble in the months leading up to the project’s launch.
Paradox
Paradoxically, China is also the world’s largest polluter, emitting by far the most CO2, accounting for a third of global emissions for a population representing just under a fifth of the world’s total, and continuing to open new coal-fired power plants. Five years ago, President Xi Jinping pledged that China would achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, with emissions expected to peak around 2030.
According to a Finnish analysis, greenhouse gas emissions in China fell for the first time last year while energy demand increased. Emissions had already decreased slightly during the coronavirus pandemic, but now they have fallen by an additional one percent. This positive development can be attributed to China’s rapid transition to solar, wind, and nuclear energy, as well as other factors.
Outside China
Outside of China, the United States, in particular, saw significant growth of 21 gigawatts (+4%), despite measures by the current Trump administration to scale back support for renewable energy. In India, this growth was 24 gigawatts, half the amount recorded in the same period last year.
Solar energy is also gaining traction in Africa. Evidence of this is the 60% increase in the number of solar panels imported from China.
